Sunday, July 4, 2010

i have just been reading about an installation by French artist Céleste Boursier-Mougenot, where the barbican gallery was converted into an aviary, and filled with musical instruments and zebra finches, whose movements and landing upon siad instruments created a soundscape within the space. i'm sure there's a john cage/birdcage joke in there somewhere... but i will spare you and instead provide a link to a sweet story from the guardian (and a slideshow).

i wonder about the ethics of using the birds in such an erratic sounding environment, but i do think that there is beauty in the work, especially given the small and delicate nature of the birds, and by contrast the rather harsh heavy sounds that result from their tiny movements. i wonder if it is intended as a comparison between the difference of scale between actions and their consequences? for me this disparity and imbalance creates both a tension and a curiosity about what will result next..

(on a more frivolous note, it also reminds me a bit of this short animation from pixar!)

i have recently become enamoured with the idea of being a person who cycles, and although i do see great merit in both the environmental and fitness benefits (and if questioned i will claim these as my key motivations!), secretly the real reason is because I imagine that when I am riding along I will look something like this:however, the reality is a lot more complex than that, as i am finding out now (week 3 of bike rebuild project)!

I have a vintage frame which i have dutifully taken apart, cleaned, derusted and largely reassembled (complete with new hand grips as of today!), but now i am into the business of replacing parts that look like this:...and it is proving rather complicated (guess who took this all apart and now isn't entirely sure how it goes back together!). the reality of being a person who cycles, it seems, is that for the moment most weekends i look less like audrey and more like her confused and dishevelled cousin.

my thanks must go to Gerry Lauzon of http://www.howtofixbikes.ca/, who book has been a great starting point - i am really enjoying the project,and it really helps to have some advice from someone who know what they're doing. next post i'll add some pics of the bike itself - hopefully near completion by then!